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Varsity Cup preview – Rugby that Rocks!

Our resident Varsity Cup expert and fan, Jacques, takes a look at what we can expect in this year’s competition.

Jacques

I am so glad that the rugby god’s decided a few years ago to give us Varsity Cup before the circus that is Super Rugby. Eighty two matches will be played this year in the four different competitions of Varsity Cup.

One of the greatest aspects of the Varsity Cup for me is that most team’s starts a fresh every year as players come and go, but this year it is not just the players that left and new once that came in but we had a few coaches moving on as well, making space for some new blood to show off their talent.

The immediately difference that will see is the introduction of Wits from Johannesburg as the newest member of the Varsity Cup and TUT moving to the Shield for the next two years. This gives Johannesburg two teams in the Premiere League. The newly promoted team played a few friendlies and started off with a 31-15 lost to UJ and two wins against UKZN Impi’s. I am glad that common sense was used when organisers decided that Wits will have at least two years in the Cup so no promotion relegation will take place until 2014. Just shows again how Varsity Cup sets the trend for ring heads in SARU when it come to new innovations to improve spectator value, which leads to more money in the game.

Cell-C who jumped on-board as sponsor for this year to join SteinHoff, First National Bank, Black Label and Spur.

Because I am biased towards Maties I will future their campaign first this yearJ.

With the class of 2013 the first notable change is in the coaching staff with Chris Rossouw taking over from Roux as Head coach. With the saying:” A change is as good as Holiday”, matie supporters will hope that this holiday will last until April and see the three times Varsity Champions re-take the championship in 2013. Helmut Lehmann was again appointed to lead the Cape side in this year’s cup challenge. As a member of the WP 2012 Currie Cup team Helmut will bring a lot of confidence and experience to a totally new look Maties team.

With two good pre-season performances against UWC and the Baby Boks, Maties will be a strong contender again in 2013. Maties showed their hunger in their win of 26-17 over the Baby Boks in Stellenbosch. Maties scored two tries and was awarded a penalty try after the baby boks was adjust to pulled down a maul.

Maties will kick-off their campaign against UJ at home for the first game live on Super Sport for the season.